Associate Director, Center for Professional Development - Public Interest

Months Per Year: 12 Work Model:
Hybrid Work Eligible

Seattle University will be one of the most innovative and progressive Jesuit and Catholic universities in the world, educating with excellence at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels. We embrace an intersectional framework for defining diversity in its broadest sense, including differences in gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, generational history, culture, socioeconomic class, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship status, political perspectives, geographic origin and physical ability.

Seattle University strives to be a welcome, open and safe campus climate for all who learn, live and work at Seattle University. Seattle University's Core Competencies Effective Team

Collaboration:

Works harmoniously with others towards a common goal, leveraging individual strengths to achieve shared objectives. Emotionally Intelligent Communication:
Engages in a skillful exchange of information, thoughts, and feelings, verbally and non-verbally. Ethics and Integrity:
Demonstrates an unwavering commitment to honesty, professionalism, and alignment with our Jesuit mission in all actions and decisions. Flexibility and Innovation:
Embraces change, approaching problems with curiosity adaptability, and is committed to making a positive impact. Mindful Inclusion:
Fosters mindful inclusion by consciously creating a workplace that celebrates differences, embraces cultural humility, and empowers uniqueness. Outcomes-Driven Orientation:
Sets clear objectives, pursues excellence, and delivers measurable outcomes while upholding Jesuit Catholic values.

The Associate Director focuses on public interest and government opportunities and supports students and alumni to understand what public interest employment opportunities exist-during and after law school. The Associate Director is expected to understand the public interest legal employment landscape and build relationships with employers at the local, state, and federal level, with particular focus on: public defense agencies, prosecutor’s offices, the State Attorney General’s Office, and other city, county, and state agencies;

the various Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps programs; the statewide civil legal aid/nonprofit network; postgraduate public interest fellowship opportunities; and, private bar opportunities that focus on public interest work. Externally, the Associate Director assists with organizing the Northwest Public Service Career Fair, the largest public interest legal job fair in the Pacific Northwest, and supports students and alumni with registration, reviews application materials, and conducts mock interviews leading up to the Career Fair.

The Associate Director is also expected to maintain the law school’s relationship with Equal Justice Works and connect students and alumni to the Equal Justice Works Career Fair and its postgraduate fellowship programming. The Associate Director will develop relationships within the public interest community and will represent the Department through their attendance at external events. Internally, the Associate Director is expected to closely partner with the Access to Justice Institute (ATJI), including presenting on public interest legal employment opportunities at Social Justice Mondays (as requested), supporting first-year students in the First Year Fellows Program, and attending the Evening with Equal Justice.

The Associate Director also partners with the Externship Program to ensure that students understand the externship application cycle, the available opportunities, and the application process. The Associate Director counsels law students and alumni on career options, preparation of application materials, job search skills, and professional development/networking opportunities. CPD team members utilize their skill in legal writing to review, edit, and identify areas for improvement on job application materials, which requires the ability to manage a high volume of professional correspondence and edit hundreds of resumes, cover letters, thank-you letters, and other materials.

The Associate…